Tag Archives: Wonder Woman

by Tim Barley

Still Wonderful – Wonder Woman Continues to Kick Ass

Good morning, mixers!

Well, the fantastic film adaptation of Wonder Woman still rules the box office, as three new challengers last weekend couldn’t defeat Diana Prince and company. The hope was for Tom Cruise’s The Mummy to come out on top, but the movie came in underperforming. The summer box office is off to a slow start, but big movies are slated and we’ll be posting our summer event schedule shortly.

Let’s get this show on the road, as we bring you the Cocktails and Movies Monday Morning Hangover Report.

by Mike Reyes

After what seemed like forever, Wonder Woman has finally arrived in Hollywood, with strong, but mixed, results.

With three films under its belt, the pre-Wonder Woman DC Extended Universe was in a bit of a bind. Between the way it handled its characters and source material, as well as the variously noted disasters, debacles, and reshuffles in its cabinet, it looked like they were never going to put out a film that could please the public. But then, hope started to shine as Patty Jenkins came aboard the first cinematic outing for the princess of Themyscira, and a pretty solid cast boarded under her leadership. Well, it pleases me to say that while Wonder Woman isn’t the silver bullet (or bulletproof bracelet) that Warner Bros intended, it’s a strong, satisfying base hit.

After growing up in the idyllic Themyscira, its princess, Diana (Gal Gadot,) ventures into the world of mankind. Accompanied by the soldier that crash lands into her life (Chris Pine,) our protagonist embarks on her greatest adventure yet. With World War I raging, and Diana’s naivete adjusting to the culture shock, the search is on for the madman who’s pulling the strings of the conflict. As her battle rages on, Diana will learn what it’s like to be human, warts and all.

While Wonder Woman is a far from perfect film, it’s a truly heartfelt piece of entertainment. Up until now, DC’s films have had a sort of anarchic / nihilistic sort of attitude about them, with a sliver of optimism being represented by Superman. With that sliver now dead in the universe, and Justice League looking like more of a bro-down than any of the other Warner Bros films, Wonder Woman is a refreshing change of pace, as the film decides to focus on themes of heroism and love. The message is a little clunky at times, particularly when the dialogue hits the nail a little too on the head, but the fact that the message is there is still important. Should the internet turn its attentions to memes about Steve Trevor and Wonder Woman’s relationship, rather than The Joker and Harley Quinn’s “relationship,” the world will already be better off.

Of course, the goodwill doesn’t end there, as Wonder Woman powers forth with Gal Gadot as its sterling female lead and director Patty Jenkins finally putting her stamp on the comic book world, both making huge strides for women in a male-dominated genre / industry. Thankfully, that angle isn’t preached with tone-deaf sentiment, as the strength of Gadot, and the rest of the female characters in this world, is shown in actions rather than dialogue. Ms. Gadot, in particular, balances wide-eyed wonder with her warrior nature quite well, with minimal sour notes being hit throughout. It’s just a shame that the film leaves Themyscira so soon, as the film ditches 95% of its strong female characters once the action moves into the real world.

It should also be noted that Chris Pine absolutely shines in this movie, as do his fellow World War I compatriots. That’s partially because all of them are full fledged, captivating characters on their own, each with a sparkling personality, and a common goal in the name of the common good. However, it’s really Gal Gadot’s chemistry with the group, and the earnestness of her performance, that make this unit as fun to watch as Captain America, Peggy Carter, and the Howling Commandos.

Unfortunately, there’s something to be said about a lot of the borrowed elements that Wonder Woman displays, as there are moments in here that not only recall Captain America: The First Avenger, but also one particular scene in Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Let’s just say No Man’s Land becomes one of those “hit the nail on the head” moments we were talking about, albeit the moment itself is redeemed with an exemplary action sequence that exhilarates the film. While these elements aren’t exactly unique in the world of comic books, it’s more noticeable when you copy elements in the context of a film.

But perhaps the weakest element of Wonder Woman is, in fact, the villainous contingent throughout the film. There’s three villains in this film, and none of them escape the classification of mere caricatures. There’s even a laughable moment where Danny Huston’s General Ludendorff and Elena Anaya’s Dr. Maru (aka “Dr. Poison”) engage in some comedic villainy that makes for a quick chuckle, but renders both characters unable to be taken seriously. Not to mention, the third act is damaged by this villain problem, as the final showdown just isn’t as compelling as it wants or hopes to be. For a film that has such a strong first two acts, it really hurts to see the finale turn into a subpar closer.

Despite its flaws, Wonder Woman is a film for fans of the comic book genre, as well as movie fans altogether. It’s an especially dazzling film when seen in IMAX 3D too, as the quality of the visuals are only enhanced by the superb presentation of third dimensional enhancement. It’s not a perfect movie, and there’s plenty of comic book films that outrank it in brilliance, but Wonder Woman represents hope for a better female driven franchise ahead. What it lacks in plot it makes up for in well-drawn characters you want to spend time with, and a lead that truly rocks her role like a goddess. Gal Gadot has come a long way from her Fast & Furious days, and Patty Jenkins continues to shine as a vital directorial voice in the world of film. May they both come out of the gate swinging for Wonder Woman 2, should the market allow such a possibility, as I already miss their work.

by Tim Barley, Mike Reyes, and Duwayne Tso

Can DC Pull A Much Needed Home Run, Or Will A Depantsed Hero Rise?

Whoa man, can you believe there’s a Wonder Woman movie in theaters? Finally! After so many decades of waiting, the princess of Themyscira has hit our silver screens. But don’t fret if you’re not into the comic scene and/or have kids, because there’s something for them to enjoy as DC makes its latest attempt to hype Justice League into being a hit. It’s been a slow start to the summer with no real big movies, and the box office needs a win. Let’s see if one of this weekend’s competitors can deliver the hit the business so desperately needs.

by Duwayne Tso

Welcome to CocktailsandMovies.com Thursday Trailer Tap!

Are you sitting in your cubicle with stacks of TPS reports to go through? Listening to that conference call where everyone is talking at the same time about nothing at all that matters? Stuck at the water cooler hearing about how Guardians Of The Galaxy, Vol.2 destroyed the competition to be #1. Need something to watch with that flask in your desk and that burned microwave popcorn from the break room? Let us share something new with you.

by Duwayne Tso

Welcome to CocktailsandMovies.com Thursday Trailer Tap!

Are you sitting in your cubicle with stacks of TPS reports to go through? Listening to that conference call where everyone is talking at the same time about nothing at all that matters? Stuck at the water cooler hearing about how awesome the return of everyone’s favorite primate King Kong was? Need something to watch with that flask in your desk and that burned microwave popcorn from the break room? Let us share something new with you.